Since moving to Madrid in 2009, Ronaldo has scored 422 goals in 418 games, helped the team to 15 major trophies including three of the last four Champions Leagues, and brought glamour to the Bernabeu with a host of individual prizes including four of the five Ballon d'Or awards he has won in his career.

Whether you blame the Bernabeu faithful's infamous hard-to-please attitude, or the player's apparent stubbornness in always asking for more, it is difficult now to see this relationship ending amicably.

Dermot Corrigan is a Madrid-based football writer who covers La Liga and the Spain national team for ESPN FC. Follow him on Twitter @dermotmcorrigan